Stella Young

Stella Jane Young (24 February 1982 – 6 December 2014) was an Australian comedian, journalist and disability rights activist.[1][2]

Stella Young
Born(1982-02-24)24 February 1982
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
Died6 December 2014(2014-12-06) (aged 32)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Alma materDeakin University
University of Melbourne
OccupationJournalist and comedian
Websitestellayoung.com

Early life and education

Young was born in 1982[3] at Stawell, Victoria.[4] She was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, and used a wheelchair for most of her life.[5] At the age of 14 she audited the accessibility of the main street businesses of her hometown.[6]

She held a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Relations from Deakin University, Geelong and a Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Melbourne. After graduating in 2004, she worked for a time as a secondary school teacher.[7][8]

Career
Stella Young being interviewed at Floriade in 2013

Young served as the editor for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's online magazine Ramp Up.[8] Before joining the ABC, she had worked as an educator in public programs at Melbourne Museum, and hosted eight seasons of No Limits, a disability culture program on community television station Channel 31.[6]

In a Ramp Up editorial published in July 2012 she deconstructed society's habit of turning disabled people into what she called "inspiration porn".[9] The concept was further popularized in her April 2014 TEDxSydney talk, titled "I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much".[7]

Having previously appeared in several comedy showcases and group shows, Stella made her festival debut as a solo performer at the 2014 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Her show Tales from the Crip, directed by Nelly Thomas, won her the award for best newcomer at the festival.[6]

She was a member of the boards of the Ministerial Advisory Council for the Department of Victorian Communities, Victorian Disability Advisory Council, the Youth Disability Advocacy Service and Women with Disabilities Victoria.[10]

In 2017 Young was inducted posthumously onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in recognition of her work as a "journalist, comedian, feminist and fierce disability activist".[11]

Contributed chapter
  • "The politics of exclusion", pp. 246–256, in: Destroying the joint, edited by Jane Caro, Read How You Want (2015, ISBN 9781459687295).

Death

Young died unexpectedly in Melbourne, on 6 December 2014 of a suspected aneurysm.[12]

References
  1. Bannister, Brooke (29 February 2012). "Who are you? Stella Young". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  2. "Stella Young profile". Abc.net.au. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  3. Stella Young (26 April 2013). "The Politics of Exclusion". Ramp Up. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1982, the year I was born, the Victorian Government announced a major review of the education system for children with disabilities.
  4. Dave Fregon. "Stella Young | 2012 Global Atheist Convention". Atheistconvention.org.au. Archived from the original on 10 March 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  5. Michelle Griffin (22 September 2011). "Lunch with Stella Young". Theage.com.au. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  6. Calligeros, Marissa (8 December 2014). "Stella Young dead: comedian, ABC journalist and disability advocate dies at 32". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  7. "TED Speaker: Stella Young". ted.com. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  8. "ABC Ramp Up: About This Website". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  9. Young, Stella (3 July 2012). "We're not here for your inspiration - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  10. "Stella Young, writer, comedian and disability activist dies". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  11. "Victorian Honour Roll of Women 2017". Women Victoria (vic.gov.au). Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  12. Marissa Calligeros (8 December 2014). "Stella Young dead: comedian, ABC journalist and disability advocate dies at 32". Smh.com.au. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
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